way back in the day when obama united states senator and there was a press conference and i asked a question and he was giving it a very long answer, in my view, and i cut him off and, boy, did i get thumped from him for cutting him off. i don't know -- >> he complained to you later? >> he took me to the wood shed for cutting him off and his view was i was trying to dictate the answer. i was just trying to have him address it. now -- would i absolutely have that same way of asking him if i were sitting with the question. >> i'm cutting you off right now. bob, this whole, it's been like watching paint dry and tremendously important story, which the country is facing enormous economic consequences, but how do you cover a process where it's mostly private meetings and nothing seems to be happening? >> it's very difficult because you have both sides coming out of meetings and sometimes saying different things and no way to independently verify it. one of the most difficult things to report until they have a deal and you can count votes for plan b. behind closed doors, you just don't know. that's